§ 160B-19 — Referendum on consolidation and on assumption of certain debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit; right to issue certain authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit

(a) In connection with a city-county consolidation, if there exists at the effective date of the consolidation (i) any outstanding debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit of a consolidating city or (ii) the right to issue any authorized but unissued debt of said city that is to be secured by a pledge of faith and credit and is proposed to be assumed by the consolidated city-county, then there shall have been held a favorable referendum on the question of the assumption of that debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit and, if applicable, there shall have been held a referendum on the assumption of the right to issue that authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit.
(b) The referendum on the question of the assumption of debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit or, if applicable, the assumption of the right to issue authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit may be included in the proposition submitted to the voters in a referendum called by a consolidation study commission under G.S. 153A-405.
(c) If the General Assembly provided for a referendum on the question of consolidation instead of a referendum called by a consolidation study commission under G.S. 153A-405, the governing bodies of the units proposed to be consolidated, by resolution, may add to the ballot proposition the assumption of debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit question and, if applicable, the assumption of the right to issue authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit question. In either event, the proposition shall be substantially as provided in G.S. 153A-405.
(d) If the city-county consolidation is authorized by the General Assembly without a referendum or if there otherwise has not been a referendum on the question of the assumption of any debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit or, if applicable, the question of the assumption of the right to issue any authorized but unissued faith and credit debt, then the governing bodies of the units proposed to be consolidated, by resolution, may provide for a referendum on said questions. In addition, any interim governing board for the consolidated city-county, by resolution, also may provide for such a referendum. The proposition submitted to the voters shall be substantially in the following form (and may include part or all of the bracketed language as appropriate and any other modifications as may be needed to reflect the issued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit of any of the consolidating units or the portion of the authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit of any of the consolidating units, the right to issue which is proposed to be assumed by the consolidated city-county):
"Shall, in connection with the consolidation of the City of with the County of , the consolidated unit assume the debt of each secured by a pledge of faith and credit, [the right to issue authorized but unissued debt to be secured by a pledge of faith and credit [(including any such debt as may be authorized for said city or county on the date of this referendum)] and any of said authorized but unissued debt as may be hereafter issued,] and be authorized to levy taxes in an amount sufficient to pay the principal of and the interest on said debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit?
[ ] YES [ ] NO"
(e) To be approved the proposition must receive the votes of a majority of those voting in the referendum. In connection with the proposed consolidation of one or more cities with a county, if the assumption by the consolidated city-county of outstanding debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit of the consolidating city and, if applicable, the right to issue authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit of the consolidating city was approved by the votes of a majority of those voting in the referendum, the vote on that referendum shall constitute the approval by a majority of the qualified voters who vote thereon as required by Article V, Section 4(2) of the Constitution of North Carolina.
(f) Any such referendum on the question of consolidation or the assumption of debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit or the right to issue authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit may be held on the same day as any other referendum or election in the county involved, but may not otherwise be held during the period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the day of any other referendum or election to be conducted by the board of elections conducting the referendum and already validly called or scheduled by law.
(g) A notice of a referendum on consolidation or on the assumption of debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit or, if applicable, the right to issue authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit shall be published at least twice in a newspaper of general circulation in the county. The first publication shall be not less than 14 days and the second publication not less than seven days before the last day on which voters may register for the referendum. The notice shall state the date of the referendum, a statement as to the last date for registration for the referendum under the election laws then in effect, and substantially the text of the proposition to be voted upon. The notice shall be published by the governing bodies of the units proposed to be consolidated or, if applicable, the interim governing board of the consolidated city-county by their respective clerks or by such other person as shall be designated by each applicable governing body or board.
(h) The board of elections shall canvass any referendum on consolidation and any referendum on the assumption of debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit or, if applicable, the right to issue authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit and shall certify the results to the governing bodies of the units proposed to be consolidated or, if applicable, the interim governing board of the consolidated city-county which shall then certify and declare the result of the referendum and shall publish a statement of the result once in a newspaper of general circulation in the county, with the following statement appended:
"Any action or proceeding challenging the regularity or validity of this referendum must be begun within 30 days after the date of publication of this statement of result."
(i) Any action or proceeding in any court to set aside a referendum on consolidation or a referendum on assumption of debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit or, if applicable, the right to issue authorized but unissued debt secured by a pledge of faith and credit in connection with consolidation, or to obtain any other relief, upon the grounds that the referendum is invalid or was irregularly conducted, must be begun within 30 days after the publication of the statement of the result of the referendum. After the expiration of this period of limitation, no right of action or defense based upon the invalidity of or any irregularity in the referendum shall be asserted, nor shall the validity of the referendum be open to question in any court upon any ground whatever, except in an action or proceeding begun within the period of limitation prescribed in this section. (1995, c. 461, s. 4.)